Finding Warmth
by misanoe
Summary: Small C/C interaction after Slouching Toward Bethlehem.


Title: Finding Warmth  
Author: Misanoe  
Email: Misanoe@yahoo.com  
Pairing: Cordy/Connor  
Rating: PG  
Spoilers: Slouching Toward Bethlehem  
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.   
Note: A short fic I wrote in a moment of inspiration.   
  
Connor watched the girl sleeping peacefully in his arms. One hand was slung possessively over her stomach, pulling her tightly against his body; the other arm she used as a personal pillow. He spent most of his nights this way. Feeling her- watching her- wanting her.   
  
The faint sound of wailing sirens and a cool draft drifted through the broken window pane. He felt her shiver in his arms. Deftly his hand slid off her waist to the blanket they shared. Grabbing the corner of the sheet between two fingers, he brought it up to her neck and tucked it in between her body and the dingy mattress. Under the blanket his hand retraced its path on her body, his arm now resting below her breasts. Inching into her, he sealed any gaps between them, the back of her body fully pressed against his chest.   
  
The sound of gunshots on the street pierced through the still air, causing Cordelia to stir in her sleep. He felt another shiver.   
  
"Shhh," he whispered in her ear. He made a mental note to find some boards to close up the gaping holes Wolfram and Hart left in each window.   
  
He never really cared about his living conditions until she came to him. He could handle decaying walls and threadbare sheets. Didn't feel the chill. He felt the cold from her body seeping through the thin fabric between her skin and his fingers. Her skin was icy to his touch. Her body wasn't used to the cold. Glancing at the broken windows, he could see the jagged edges of glass glinting in the moonlight. He nuzzled the crook of her neck with his chin, willing the heat in his blood to warm her up.   
  
He wanted to fix things now. Make this place worthy for her to stay. She made him look forward to coming back to this dilapidated flat every dawn and he was becoming fearful she wouldn't want to stay.   
  
*He* had offered to help him. Angel… his father's name mocked him. The other night Angel had drawn him aside after a particularly nasty scuffle. Waited until he dusted both vampires then offered to let them both stay at the hotel. He'd welcome the son if he brought the girl. Connor refused. He didn't want to share. Wanted her for himself.   
  
She was the angel.   
  
"Why aren't you sleeping?"   
  
The body in his arms stiffened slightly in surprise. After a few seconds she relaxed. He could picture the rueful smile on her face. "It's cold."   
  
"I know. I'll fix the windows in the morning."   
  
Cordelia burrowed herself deeper into Connor's embrace. "What we need to do is lighten this place up. Give it a happier look. We'll get flowers." She declared. "Maybe some nice curtains. A thicker blanket."   
  
A soft warmth engulfed Connor's body as he listened to her ramble about the other improvements they would make. In the dark a corner of his mouth twitched. She wanted to make the place brighter. She wanted to stay.   
  
  
She could feel his heat. Gentle hands caressing her skin. Drowsily she opened her eyes, a slight smile on her face. Stretching her arms over her head then to the side, she frowned when her hand patted the mattress beside her to come up empty. Sunlight pouring through the windows had bathed her sleeping body with it's intense rays.  
  
"Connor?" Her voice sounded too loud, disturbing the eerie peace of the morning in the silent apartment. Sitting up in their bed, she shielded her eyes from the bright light. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for his familiar, lanky figure.   
  
How strange. He was normally asleep beside her when she woke up, his nocturnal activities keeping him out much later then her.   
  
"Connor?" She repeated herself, her voice echoing off the cavernous ceiling. She slid out of bed. "Crap, cold." The floor shaded away from the sun was freezing to her bare feet. Hopping from foot to foot, she swiftly made her way to the window sill.   
  
A flash of vibrant colors. A broad smile broke across her face. On the small seat in front of the window he had left her a small bouquet of picked flowers. Bending down a bit to pick up a single bright yellow daisy, the sweet scent wafted pleasantly in the air. And in the abysmally cold and drafty room, she found warmth.   



End file.
